NFC Notes: Buccaneers, Lions, Seahawks

Buccaneers

• According to Jason La Canfora, there’s a strong sense within the organization that Buccaneers QB Tom Brady will try to feature WR Antonio Brown given he’s uniquely invested in Brown’s success and personally vouched and lobbied for the team signing him. 
• Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht says Brown has “picked things up very quickly” and Tampa Bay’s offense is “very similar” to Pittsburgh’s. 
• Licht reiterated Brown will be on a short leash and the team sees this as a low-risk, potentially very high-reward move: “It’s an opportunity that we’re giving him, another opportunity, but it’s a one-year deal and if it doesn’t work, there’s no risk. No risk.”
• Despite some strongly-worded public quotes, Licht says Brown and HC Bruce Arians have talked, cleared the air and are good going forward: “(Brown and Arians) had a very candid conversation and I don’t want to paraphrase. But Bruce said to me, ‘He’ll be good.'”
• He also added Tampa Bay’s other two Pro Bowl receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, were on board with bringing Brown in: “It was just to make sure we’re good. I personally talked to Mike and Chris, as well and they said, ‘Hey, we just want to win. We just want to win.’ For them it was, ‘Whatever we can do.'”

Lions

• NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports Lions QB Matthew Stafford went through great lengths to prepare as best as possible despite not being able to practice while on the COVID-19 list this week. 
• Stafford got the practice script and participated in every meeting virtually. He watched practice live through Detroit’s video system He also led a blitz pickup drill virtually as his Zoom was hooked up to PA speakers so he could call the protections. 
• Stafford was evaluated for a concussion during Sunday’s game, but later cleared the protocol.

Seahawks

• Regarding his new five-year extension with the Seahawks, Pete Carroll told reporters that it had been in the works for a long time and wasn’t something he wanted the team to announce “at a time when everybody is suffering and struggling and all of that.” (Brady Henderson)
• NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo says the Texans have already done their homework on Seahawks executives Trent Kirchner and Scott Fitterer as potential general manager candidates.